Ice Cube is currently at work on the follow-up album to 2010’s I Am the West, claiming that he’s “65 percent finished” with recording the project. During an interview with Red Bull USA, the West Coast veteran says that the LP will be “Hip Hop for the soul,” explaining that he’s focusing on more than just rhyming and that he’s trying to make a cohesive album.

“I’m pretty deep into it, I’m about 65 percent finished with it. It’ll be out next year, you know, and it’s hardcore Hip Hop,” he said. “It’s street knowledge, it’s talking about what’s going on in the hood, but it’s talking about what’s going on in the political arena. It’s what I always try to give. Much more than just rhyming. Mostly, it’s Hip Hop for the soul. That’s what I’m trying to deliver.”

As for the upcoming Friday film, Cube said that the script is nearing completion. He also acknowledged the younger generation coming up in the West, praising them for how “creative” they are and that it’s a “beautiful thing.”

“The script is almost finished, I got a meeting with New Line on Monday or Tuesday, to talk about the next step,” he said. “You gotta get that script tight before you can take the next step. It’s beautiful because the West Coast, we’ve always been trying to prove ourselves to the Hip Hop nation, that we was much more than bitches, hoes, gangstas, guns… We’ve been trying to show that we’re very creative on the West Coast, but we got caught in a style that worked, a formula that worked, and it kind of got oversaturated in a way. But the dudes on the West are showing how creative they are. It’s good that the hip Hop community is starting to acknowledge it and getting their shine, and that’s a beautiful thing.”